Food Network Challenge Episodes

Go behind the scenes of the exclusive World Pastry Cup, an 11 hour marathon in which 45 International teams of Pastry chefs compete for the title of Wold Pastry Chef. Follow the Canadian and American team as they work there way to this Championship.

Jim White of Casa Vieja in Corralis, NM, and Paula Deen of the Lady and Sons Restaurant in Savannah Georgia joins Gordon as he invades the fraternity and sorority-rich Union Street at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

Premier pastry chefs from twelve different countries travel to Las Vegas for a two-day competition thats known for setting new standards in the industry. Each team shows its artistic talent with a sugar showpiece and a chocolate showpiece, and its culinary prowess with pastries

It's a cake competition with a mystery twist. The best cake makers in the country came to Phoenix with no idea what they'd be asked to do. Just hours before the competition, the theme was announced: sports cakes! Watch as the pros squirm under the pressure, with just a few hours to plan, and 7 hours to build world-class cakes.

Haunted houses, ghostly pumpkins and edible eyeballs make for a Halloween thriller, when five top cake teams gather for an intense cake and candy competition. Elaborate cakes, some weighing 80+ pounds, must impress a panel of tough judges with their delectable craftsmanship and creative use of candy decorations.

Forget the good cheer, these cake artists just want to win! Six of the nations top cake teams come to Sea Island Georgia to make the best holiday cakes they can create in just six hours. The icing is flying and the air is sparkling with glitter as the nations best create grand holiday masterpieces

Four teams compete in a unique competition that combines ice sculpture and pastry art. Each team consists of two competitors. Our experts have to come up with a sculpture that combines two very different elements under the umbrella theme of Fire and Ice. There will be many forces at work against the teams .heat, the clock and for some, almost no time to practice.

It's a bride's fantasy and a cake decorator's dream. Dozens of decorators travel to Tulsa to compete for a cut of the $10,000 purse. Art is the name of the game at this show, only these sculptures and paintings are done with sugar and icing. It is three days packed with taste, style and beauty, making for one grand reception with a sweet reward in the end.

Beautiful homes, amusement parks, rustic barns, and ornate churches all made of America?s favorite holiday treat: gingerbread! A record 300 gingerbread creations (decorated with gum drops, Necco wafers, and chow mein noodles!) were brought to this 12th annual championship in Asheville, North Carolina. Watch as participants spend months planning their structures and then cringe with every pothole as they drive their creations to the show.

Their moves are mesmerizing, and their speed and accuracy mind-boggling. They're the top bartenders in the country, and they're in Las Vegas to flair their way to fame at the World Bartending Championships. Bartenders go through three grueling rounds of speed, accuracy, and flair tests, cheered-on by a huge crowd. The eleven who make it to the finals get a chance at the title and the grand prize of $6,000.

It's the biggest BBQ event in the nation - And our own Al Roker - a BBQ expert and cookbook author -- has entered the contest! See how Al's ribs stack up against the real pros, and see what it takes to compete in one very tasty cook-off.

12 teams of 3 pastry chefs create delicate masterpieces in sugar and chocolate, all representing the theme of "Broadway Musicals." The stakes at the National Pastry Team Championship in Las Vegas are among the highest in the competitive food world.

Eight seasoned chefs come to Gilroy, CA for one of the nation's best-loved cook-offs. Selected from hundreds of entrants, cooks will have two hours to prepare spicy specialties for the $1000 first prize. The delicious dishes all promise to be treasures.

Fort Worth, TX - the heart of beef country. Twenty competitors were picked to come and cook up their tasty dishes and a chance to win $50,000. Will the granger beef and noodle bowls wow the judges? Or will it be the Beef Tikka with Coconut Raita?

The nation's best bakers gather in Celebration, FL to enter their pies in the "grandmother" of all cooking contests. It's a cook-off to determine who has the best crust, and who is just flaky. Don't want to miss out on a visit to the Endless Pie Buffet.

This cook-off makes "Home Ec" look like history. The best high school cooking teams in the country gather in Denver, CO for a high-intensity food test. Thousands of dollars in scholarships are at stake but it may be the beginning to a promising career.

Celebrating its 25th year, the Annual Spam Cookoff takes place in Austin TX. Delve into the world of spam creations from spam sculptures to spushi, spam sushi. And don't forget the spam cram eating contest, the spam call and the spam toss.

It's a high-flying, dough-tossing extravaganza as Italy throws the world's biggest pizza party and six American chefs are invited. Does Team USA have what it takes to beat the Italians in their own backyard? The World Pizza Championship awaits!

The top wild game chefs in the country gather in Springville, Alabama for an afternoon of "grills gone wild"-you'll be amazed how fancy a caribou dish can be. We'll visit a wild game fine dining restaurant, and the market if you want to find yak filets!

Ten of the nation's best chefs under the age of 27 come to Miami, FL to compete in a high-end "mystery basket" cook-off for the American title, and the chance to represent the U.S. in the International Young Chefs compeition in South Africa.

Six American chefs come to Chicago to take on ten of the world's top cooking teams. Team USA overcomes sleepless nights and long hot days in the kitchen to try to prove they are the world's Culinary Champions.

Secret marinades, heavenly fires, specially-designed grills and great cuts of beef-the grilling teams in Magnolia Arkansas pull out all their tricks because they know what's at "steak" at the World Championship Steak Cook-off.

The American Royal is commonly refered to as the World Series of BBQ: two days, state and regional winners from across North America, and over $60,000 in prize money! Join us in Kansas City, MO for the one of the biggest BBQ competitions in the world.

The Fiery Foods Challenge is a huge gathering of hot foods, vendors and aficionados. Watch as people sweat while they test the hot foods. Also, spend time with some of the Fiery Food vendors and see what new fiery flavors are in store for us.

A taste of the old west, literally. More than 20 of the nation's top cowboy cooking teams have a culinary showdown in Ruidoso, NM. Meals and dessert are carefully prepared over open fires. We'll also ride home to see how they cook back at the ranch.

Over 100 teams from all over the country load their wagon trains and grills and head south to Vienna, Georgia to compete for over $12,000 in prize money at the Annual Big Pig Jig, Georgia's oldest and largest pig cooking contest.

Only in Las Vegas could two heavyweights this hot duke it out with such delicious results. Eighty-eight champion barbecue teams and more than a hundred top chili teams gather at the Mandalay Bay Resort for a weekend of spicy competition.

Join us in San Antonio, where Competitive Sports meet Competitive Cooking: the Slam Dunk Skillet Showdown. NCAA Coaches and Local Star Chefs join forces for a day of high flying hoops and sizzling skillets.

Get ready to shake, shake, shake. Food Network takes you to the Bartender Championships in Las Vegas! Witness feats of technical skill as 75 of the world's most talented bartenders convene to compete for the coveted title of Legends Champion.

More than 100,000 garlic fans stroll through the festival grounds, trying everything from garlic bread to garlic ice cream. There's even a Mr. Garlic. But the highlight of the festival is the cook-off. At this competition, the stinking rose is a sweet smell people just can't get enough of.